Monday Rambles

The other day, I came across this video that inspired me to rethink free time. To be honest, I take a lot of Casey's advice with a grain of salt- I think there is nothing wrong with sleeping in from time to time and enjoying your weekends, but he makes some great points. (Link to video here.)

Last year, I made a decision to stop rowing. Deciding to walk away from something that I had given my blood, sweat and tears to over the years was one of the most difficult decisions I've ever made. There were many factors that went into it, but what it really came down to was I had fallen out of love with the sport and it took away resources from me that I wanted to put into other things. I had calculated that between practice, competitions and team activities, one school year of rowing was about 700 hours. Freshman year, I had been happy to spend those 700 hours rowing, but was ready to do something different. Time is valuable, and I think we all need to make changes if we are constantly looking out the window, wishing we were doing something else. 

When we were in Amsterdam last week, we made a visit to the Anne Frank House. It was so well done and heartbreaking, I highly recommend going if you are in the city. At the end of the tour, there was a gift shop, where you could buy a replicated version of the journal for your own diary. I was reluctant to get it. Journaling is one of my goals, I really should give it a go. Think of all the memories to look back on! and I've tried before and could never keep up with it. In the end, the shopaholic in me caved and I got it. Though it's only been a week, I have never been more excited to hop into bed and reflect on the day- taking a couple of minutes to think and jot down ideas isn't so daunting after all. 

Friends and family sometimes ask me how I commit to blogging and making videos. Honestly though life can delay posts, it's all about putting away distractions, sitting down and just doing it. Creating is my free time. Though I think there is some importance in relaxation, sometimes the less I have, the happier I am. It's not without difficulty (personally I'm probably the worst person to have conversations about movies and TV with) but it's a small price to pay. 

You have the power to do anything when you maximize your time and dedication. Find what you love, go out, and do it.